NHTSA Complaint #10162160 — 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA

PURCHASED A 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA IN JANUARY OF 2006. WHEN CAR HAD ABOUT 2800 MILES ON IT, WE WERE EATING DINNER AT A RESTAURANT ACROSS FROM OUR LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP. WHEN WE STARTED THE ENGINE TO LEAVE, IT MADE A HORRIBLE CLATTERING NOISE. MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE OIL AND IT DID NOT REGISTER ON THE DIP STICK. WE IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT ACROSS THE STREET AND SHOWED IT TO THE SALES MANAGER SINCE SERVICE DEPT WAS CLOSED. WE HAD TO LEAVE CAR THERE OVER THE WEEKEND. WHEN SERVICE DEPT CHECKED OIL, THEY SAID IT WAS LOW AND CHANGED THE OIL, BUT DID NOT MEASURE HOW LOW JUST SAID ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 QUARTS LOW. I WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP AND THEY TRIED NOT TO PROVIDE ME WITH A SERVICE TICKET SAYING IT WAS NO CHARGE. I TOLD THEM I WAS NOT LEAVING WITH OUT A SERVICE TICKET SAYING THAT MY BRAND NEW CAR WAS SO LOW ON OIL THAT IT WAS NOT EVEN REGISTERING ON THE DIP STICK!! THEIR ANSWER WAS WE AREN'T EVEN CHARGING NISSAN FOR IT - LIKE I CARE!! ANYWAY I GOT MY TICKET. WENT BACK A FEW WEEKS LATER AND WAS LOW AGAIN - THEN THEY DECIDED TO REALLY TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND CHANGED THE OIL AGAIN AND SAID TO COME BACK IN 500 MILES. WE DID AND SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT WAS DEFINITELY USING OIL AND HE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THAT WAS ABOUT THE TIME THE RECALL CAME OUT IN THE NEWSPAPER. WE ARE STILL WAITING ON OUR ENGINE. HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS SINCE ABOUT MARCH. MY HUSBAND WAS TOLD BY SERVICE DEPT THAT NISSAN HAD CHANGED RING MANUFACTURERS AND HAD RECEIVED A FAULTY BATCH. I AM TIRED OF GOING TO NISSAN EVERY 700 MILES TO HAVE MY OIL CHECKED. THAT IS WHY I BOUGHT A NEW CAR!!! WE REQUESTED A NEW CAR, BUT LIKE ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WITH COMPLAINTS, THEY JUST LAUGHED. I GUESS IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOMEONE GETTING KILLED IN A FIRE FOR THEM TO GET OFF OF THE REARS AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING!! I AM TIRED OF HEARING WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO YET!! *JB